Cincinnati launches website to track attacks against cyclists

The city of Cincinnati reveals that in a recent survey, 266 bicyclists reported being a victim of a physical attack over a 12-month period. Assaults included throwing glass bottles at cyclists and attempting to run bikes off the road.

To the lunatic Right, vehicular assault of cyclists is a sport. Blind hatred energizes and motivates them.

But now Cincinnati fights back! The city has a new mobile app and website that helps track these hate crimes against bike commuters. Victims can just visit the website and fill out an incident form. Go to this site and click on "Bicyclist Incidents" at right...

http://cagismaps.hamilton-co.org/csrcincinnati

Data from this form will be used to allocate efforts to enforce the rules of the road.

Other cities and counties need to follow suit. They also need to publish the names, license plate numbers, and street addresses of assailants - or better yet, impose tough prison terms. Instead of putting somebody like Bradley Manning in prison, we should instead go after real criminals like people who attack cyclists. For those who commit vehicular assault against cyclists, each community should erect its own old-fashioned jail cells that no sunlight shall penetrate. Do the crime, do the time. I realize some lawbreakers can be rehabilitated, and we should have a civilized penal system that recognizes this - but I have zero hope for any adult who throws bottles at bicyclists. It's not barbaric to demand imprisonment for thugs like this.

The right of cyclists to defend themselves from violent crime is also a key reason I support concealed carry. The Evil Empire doesn't fight with their hands behind their backs, so why should we? (A milquetoast blog this is not.)

For now, the more progressive central city has the tougher approach against vehicular assault, while the more conservative suburbs are the places that expect us to "understand" criminals. Kind of rips a gaping hole in the idea that our side isn't as tough on crime, huh?